Seals are used in myriad applications in various types of machines. Seals may be constructed of any one of numerous types of materials, such as, for example, polymers, plastics, and carbon, depending on the purpose for which they may be used and the environments to which they may be exposed. One example within which seals are used is in an air cycle machine.
Air cycle machines (“ACM”) may be used in aircraft to provide conditioned and/or compressed air to various parts of the aircraft, such as, for example, the passenger cabin, pilot compartment, or other sections needing a controlled environment. ACMs generally comprise a turbine module, compressor module, and a fan module, each mounted about a common shaft. At least one of the modules may be pressurized or otherwise environmentally-controlled, resulting in pressure differentials between at least two of the modules. Consequently, it may be preferable for these modules to be sealed from one another and/or from the ambient environment. Carbon seals are commonly used for this purpose.
Typically, a carbon seal is mounted between one of the modules and the shaft to prevent leakage of pressurized air or, possibly, lubricants, from the module interior to other portions of the aircraft. However, at times, just as with any aircraft component, the ACM may need to undergo maintenance, repair, or overhaul. In such instances, the ACM may need to be partially or completely disassembled to separate the modules from one another and to expose certain ACM components. Disassembly may include removal of the carbon seal.
Conventional means of removing carbon seals have called for the use of tools that may damage the seal. When the seal is initially intact and then damaged during a removal process, unwanted debris may be undesirably left within the modules, thereby reducing the time span between scheduled maintenance, or causing other undesired consequences. Moreover, carbon seals are generally relatively expensive to replace, thus, if the carbon seal is initially undamaged, it is preferable for the seal not to be damaged during the removal process so that it can be reused when the ACM is assembled.
Thus, there is a need for a seal removal tool that does not damage the seal during a removal process. Additionally, it is desirable to have a tool that does not cause the seal to leave unwanted debris in an area from which the seal is removed. The present invention addresses one or more of these needs.